Meet The Maker - Lisa Soon

Apr 02, 2017

Happy self care Sunday Foxes! I hope you're all taking some time for yourselves today, I just went for a bush walk and have some organic beef marinading which I'll slow cook all afternoon for dinner, I absolutely love cooking so it's nice to have some extra time to cook rather than those quick after work meals.

This week I caught up with the beautiful Lisa Soon and asked her all about her amazing handmade skincare range

HOW DID YOUR HEALTH AND WELLNESS JOURNEY BEGIN?

The journey begun for me from when I started out as a professional make up artist I guess. I've always had the love for all things beauty from a little girl. My mum, aunties and grandma were huge influencers too and still are actually. Its like I've grown into it, naturally. Becoming a spa therapist though truly ignited a passion that lay hidden, waiting to be explored. The products, the treatments, the ingredients, the skills, the movements, different techniques....Oh just everything about it. I live & breathe the industry. From make up artist to spa therapist/senior therapist to spa manager to currently spa consultant and skincare creator. What is not to love !

One day I made a face scrub and gave it to a dear dear bestie of mine. She tried it.. Fell in love with it and basically a new chapter begun. Her constant encouragement got the wheels rolling !! That scrub today is called Gritty Geisha and it's one of my best sellers.

WHAT SETS YOU APART FROM OTHER BRANDS?

Who I am sets me apart from other brands. We all are who we are in our own way. My journey, my heritage, my culture.. It has all become part of my brand story. That is a difference in itself. But the one thing I know which could be a seen difference comes from a firm belief of mine, which is everyone deserves the right to feel beautiful and of course with a deep knowledge that every skin is different & we have different concerns,

I offer custom blended skincare to make sure you get what you need and this always starts with a skin consultation. I conduct skin consults with every new customer or enquiry so as to assure I know the ins & outs & most important allergies or contraindications. This also lets YOU let me know what YOU want to see improve & what troubles YOU most so we can solve it TOGETHER with the products & a routine which suits YOU and your LIFESTYLE. Oh and I use pretty unique names for all my products too you might have noticed haha. Each with a meaning.. Each with a story to tell. And then the story telling continues through my product photography too. I also stand behind yet another important factor, my prices are set to what I myself find fair or rather what I would be happy paying for as I believe everyone has the right to feel beautiful and skincare products should be affordable & attainable to all.

TELL US ABOUT THE INGREDIENTS USED IN YOUR FORMULAS:

Ingredients used in my formulas are of course all 100% natural. Organic is used whenever & wherever possible. A blend of Asian & Aussie you can say which represents a fusion of cultures. Oh, with a side serve of what makes up the rest of my mixed heritage too. A wanderlust of ingredients. Think exotic souk in Morroco, rich spices...exotic teas...grounding clays, sensual carrier oils..etc... I always try to explore the different...

BEING UP AGAINST MAINSTREAM BRANDS WITH SEEMINGLY ENDLESS MARKETING BUDGETS IS TOUGH, WHAT MOTIVATES YOU TO KEEP GOING? Being a creative is not just about making things. Your mind never sleeps. The wheels are constantly turning even when you try to switch off. Every ingredient, every flower, every oil and even a plant is inspiration to me everyday. I have pieces of paper or notebooks around the house & in every bag with new ideas. I strive to always be different. I think you can tell that once again from my branding & how culture/heritage play a part in naming my products even. When comparison & competition ends... the true process of creativity begins.

I am more than aware of what is out there but I try to just be who I am & do what I do. I take the time to see what can be different in the market or what might not be out there yet. I take the time to think of new creations, blend them, go through the whole trial & error thing, get frustrated, cry maybe, change the recipe or ingredients like 500 times etc but that's the process. But it's all me. And I wouldn't change it & I embrace the process. Introducing my products through story telling photography, weirdly enough even that keeps me going. It's not just putting a product on a table & taking shots of it. To me it's sharing what it is, the ingredients used, deconstructing the process.... people identify and are intrigued by photography & it's beautiful being able to share your product in this way, it is amazing.

Photography has long been a passion too I guess. Of course I would love to have a never ending budget to spend on marketing etc but I have what I have now and I will build as I go. Every step & every struggle builds such amazing foundations for me. And then when you hear back from a customer who gives you heartfelt feedback about how a mask which you created has helped her in such a huge way or even given her the confidence to maybe even wear less make up, then that, counts more than any never ending huge marketing budget or dollar sign there is. You cannot put a price on happiness or love, nor can you buy it. There is no price tag on that feeling of knowing you have made a difference.

WHERE ARE YOUR PRODUCTS MADE?

Products are made at home in my house. It feels like an apothecary. My own little creative sanctuary.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOUR COMPANY?

What's next is to keep on creating, building and progressing. Who knows one fine day I may have my own little space to sell & dispense. Every step leads to another. Have faith and trust in the process & the path will reveal itself. I definitely know I need to get a website or web store going though !!

YOUR FAVOURITE WAY TO RELAX:

Ooooh favourite way to relax is to Netflix & a glass of wine or 2. But you know that notebook is at arms reach for any ideas. I love the ocean. I love the water. It calls to my soul. Find me by the water if the sun is hot and the waters are blue.

YOUR FAVOURITE WAY TO EXERCISE

Exercise varies... I walk a lot .. I love it.. Music in my ears and the legs just carry me. Love swimming but I am now getting into the Pilates and I am going to try my hand at yoga. I have wanted to for the longest time so I'm glad I'm finally getting to it.

YOUR FAVOURITE FOOD:

Food.. Hmmmm... I'm Asian !!! Spice is always nice !! But I think I have way too many favourites to keep it to one !!! When you are from Singapore and grow up amongst the mixed culture of foods and wide array of it .. Trust me it's hard to choose one !! Yet sometimes I am more then happy with toast & coffee.

See I told you she was beautiful, both inside and out! Lisa's products are lovingly made which I can feel when I use them, my favourites are the Kopi Scrub and theDevi face mask, seriously ah-ma-zing!